[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
If it is the curse you speak of, I already know.
Not only that, but the task of living long past
everyone you know, anyone you will meet.
I don t crave human companionship, Grainna.
Besides. He placed a hand on hers. We will have
each other. Even now your beauty shines through. I
would take your bed if you allowed such a thing.
It pleases me to hear such a conviction, as that
is exactly what my ritual requires from you.
His stomach rolled and bile rose in his throat.
Forcing a smile to his lips could quite possibly have
been the hardest thing for him to do.
Michael stared into the eyes of what equated to
the devil. He swallowed the bile that threatened at
the thought of fucking her. He would have to
prepare for the event, give him time to protect
himself from her evil if she turned on him, or
attempted to control him as she had the others.
Tonight then. He picked up her hand and kissed
the back of her cold hard flesh.
Tonight is so long from now. Meet me in my
rooms in half an hour. After, you can return to your
Margaret s village and retrieve her.
As you wish. He would have to hurry. He left
her side, rushed to his room, and purged every
morsel from his stomach.
****
The men camped deep in the forest, far off any
path or road in which they might meet up with
renegade warriors or mercenaries wanting battle, or
gold. They needed their strength for the impending
261
Catherine Bybee
fight.
Duncan sat smiling into the flames of the small
fire they had made to cook the fresh meat they had
hunted.
What s so amusing? Todd asked after noticing
Duncan s expression.
The women. They are drinking and carrying on
like drunken men. Not Tara of course, but she tells
me that Lizzy is ripped. What does that mean?
Todd s head tipped back and a hollow laugh
escaped. Drunk. Lizzy s drunk. He elbowed Fin.
Nice to know what effect you have on women,
MacCoinnich.
Don t speak too soon, Blakely, Myra is as well.
Duncan stopped, obviously listening to something
Tara said. He slapped his hand to his thigh and
laughed hysterically. The three men scowled
wondering what it was he knew. Even Ian had to
guess what was happening, because Lora was
keeping him out of her thoughts.
****
Tara thrust a plate of food in front of the
women. You guys had better start eating, or you re
going to regret it in the morning.
Lora hiccupped, bringing Myra and Liz back
into a fit of laughter.
Tara is right, this is really inappropriate, Lora
said.
I for one am t-tired of always doing what is
appropriate, Myra stuttered.
Hah! Liz moved to the wall where she kept the
cord. You re the poster child for sixteenth century
propriety. She tossed the cord in Myra s lap. You
won t need this anymore.
Myra s jaw dropped, eyes rounding to her
mother.
Lora attempted to hide a laugh behind her hand.
You knew?
262
Silent Vows
Lora laughed harder.
Ma?
I am not brainless.
But if you knew then so did father.
You were always a bright child. Lora picked up
her glass, finished her wine. Do you think your
father waited to bed me until we had exchanged
vows?
Why, Lora, you big hussy, Tara teased.
Myra stared at her mother. Where was the
woman who had given her every rule of right and
wrong for her twenty-one years? Her confessions
liberated everything she had done since she had met
Todd. Relieved her of any guilt she had felt for
deceiving her parents.
After having Todd confess his love for her, she
only had to wait for his safe return so they could
begin their lives together. The thought sobered her.
The beat of her heart stuttered at the thought of him
not returning safely.
Lora filled her glass, reached around her in
support. Have faith.
They re going to be fine. Tara reached for her
hand, her smile waning.
Liz had stopped laughing, the jovial mood of the
room changed, there was no denying why. So Lora,
is Ian as serious in bed as he is out of it?
A gasp went up, but her shocking question
pushed them back to where they were minutes
before.
****
Candles lit the room, not in the romantic way a
lover would prepare for his mate, but in the way of
rituals and rites.
Michael s knock on the door, timid and unsure,
brought a smile to her lips. She bid him to enter but
kept her back to him when he closed it and turned
the key.
263
Catherine Bybee
She heard his uneven breathing. If she could,
she would slip into his mind. But he kept her out
and that angered her. Then again, if he knew her
thoughts, he wouldn t come anywhere near her. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
If it is the curse you speak of, I already know.
Not only that, but the task of living long past
everyone you know, anyone you will meet.
I don t crave human companionship, Grainna.
Besides. He placed a hand on hers. We will have
each other. Even now your beauty shines through. I
would take your bed if you allowed such a thing.
It pleases me to hear such a conviction, as that
is exactly what my ritual requires from you.
His stomach rolled and bile rose in his throat.
Forcing a smile to his lips could quite possibly have
been the hardest thing for him to do.
Michael stared into the eyes of what equated to
the devil. He swallowed the bile that threatened at
the thought of fucking her. He would have to
prepare for the event, give him time to protect
himself from her evil if she turned on him, or
attempted to control him as she had the others.
Tonight then. He picked up her hand and kissed
the back of her cold hard flesh.
Tonight is so long from now. Meet me in my
rooms in half an hour. After, you can return to your
Margaret s village and retrieve her.
As you wish. He would have to hurry. He left
her side, rushed to his room, and purged every
morsel from his stomach.
****
The men camped deep in the forest, far off any
path or road in which they might meet up with
renegade warriors or mercenaries wanting battle, or
gold. They needed their strength for the impending
261
Catherine Bybee
fight.
Duncan sat smiling into the flames of the small
fire they had made to cook the fresh meat they had
hunted.
What s so amusing? Todd asked after noticing
Duncan s expression.
The women. They are drinking and carrying on
like drunken men. Not Tara of course, but she tells
me that Lizzy is ripped. What does that mean?
Todd s head tipped back and a hollow laugh
escaped. Drunk. Lizzy s drunk. He elbowed Fin.
Nice to know what effect you have on women,
MacCoinnich.
Don t speak too soon, Blakely, Myra is as well.
Duncan stopped, obviously listening to something
Tara said. He slapped his hand to his thigh and
laughed hysterically. The three men scowled
wondering what it was he knew. Even Ian had to
guess what was happening, because Lora was
keeping him out of her thoughts.
****
Tara thrust a plate of food in front of the
women. You guys had better start eating, or you re
going to regret it in the morning.
Lora hiccupped, bringing Myra and Liz back
into a fit of laughter.
Tara is right, this is really inappropriate, Lora
said.
I for one am t-tired of always doing what is
appropriate, Myra stuttered.
Hah! Liz moved to the wall where she kept the
cord. You re the poster child for sixteenth century
propriety. She tossed the cord in Myra s lap. You
won t need this anymore.
Myra s jaw dropped, eyes rounding to her
mother.
Lora attempted to hide a laugh behind her hand.
You knew?
262
Silent Vows
Lora laughed harder.
Ma?
I am not brainless.
But if you knew then so did father.
You were always a bright child. Lora picked up
her glass, finished her wine. Do you think your
father waited to bed me until we had exchanged
vows?
Why, Lora, you big hussy, Tara teased.
Myra stared at her mother. Where was the
woman who had given her every rule of right and
wrong for her twenty-one years? Her confessions
liberated everything she had done since she had met
Todd. Relieved her of any guilt she had felt for
deceiving her parents.
After having Todd confess his love for her, she
only had to wait for his safe return so they could
begin their lives together. The thought sobered her.
The beat of her heart stuttered at the thought of him
not returning safely.
Lora filled her glass, reached around her in
support. Have faith.
They re going to be fine. Tara reached for her
hand, her smile waning.
Liz had stopped laughing, the jovial mood of the
room changed, there was no denying why. So Lora,
is Ian as serious in bed as he is out of it?
A gasp went up, but her shocking question
pushed them back to where they were minutes
before.
****
Candles lit the room, not in the romantic way a
lover would prepare for his mate, but in the way of
rituals and rites.
Michael s knock on the door, timid and unsure,
brought a smile to her lips. She bid him to enter but
kept her back to him when he closed it and turned
the key.
263
Catherine Bybee
She heard his uneven breathing. If she could,
she would slip into his mind. But he kept her out
and that angered her. Then again, if he knew her
thoughts, he wouldn t come anywhere near her. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]